This invention relates to a speed governor for use in a toilet or other structure having two openable closure members which are rotatable about an axis or center of rotation, and more specifically for use in a toilet having a toilet seat and a lid, a container having an openable lid, or the like.
For example, a western-style toilet includes a toilet seat mounted on a horizontal support shaft for pivotable movement. In accordance with the mode of use of the toilet, the toilet seat is pivotably movable between a closed position in which the toilet seat is held against the upper edge or rim of an open top of a toilet bowl or body, and an open position in which the toilet seat is spaced away from the upper edge of this open top. When the toilet seat is released during movement from the open to closed position, the seat descends pivotably by its own weight so that it strikes the upper edge of the toilet bowl to produce a great impact sound and in the worst case the seat is broken. This also is the case With the lid.
To deal with the above problems, speed governors have been proposed which brake the pivotable movement of the toilet seat. Examples of such governors include one utilizing a pneumatic cylinder (Japanese Patent Publication No. 37975/87 and Japanese Laid-Open (Kokai) Utility Model Application No. 118498/86) one utilizing a coil spring (Japanese Laid-Open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 106423/85 and Japanese Laid Open (Kokai) Utility Model Application Nos. 164596/84 and 32851/75), and one utilizing an oil damper (Japanese Laid-Open (Kokai) Utility Model Application No. 32851/75).
In the speed governor of the pneumatic cylinder type, the braking action begins from the start of the pivotable movement of the toilet seat, and therefore it suffers from the drawback that it takes a long time for the toilet seat to move. Also, the device becomes bulky. In the speed governor of the coil spring type, the torque of the pivotable movement of the toilet seat and the resilient force of the spring are designed to be in equilibrium, and therefore there is a problem in that a damping action occurs in the vicinity of the point of balance. The speed governor of the oil damper type has a problem that its construction becomes bulky since it must be constructed to protect against oil leakage.
A common drawback of all the above types is that when the mass of the toilet seat is changed (for example, as a result of attachment of a seat cover thereto), the braking force is varied, so that the intended function can not be completely fulfilled. Particularly where the speeds of the toilet seat and the toilet lid are to be regulated independently of each other, there is a problem in that the number of the component parts is increased, so that assembly efficiency is lowered The above problems are not limited to the toilet, but are encountered with a garbage box with a lid, a piece of furniture with an openable lid, and so on.